INFRASTRUCTURE

Introduction

Infrastructure is basic physical and organizational structures needed for the operation

of a society or enterprise, or the services and facilities necessary for an economy to function.

It can be generally defined as the set of interconnected structural elements that provide

framework supporting an entire structure of development.

The term typically refers to the technical structures that support a society, such as

roads, water supply, sewers, electrical grids, telecommunications, and so forth, and can be

defined as “the physical components of interrelated systems providing commodities and services

essential to enable, sustain, or enhance societal living conditions.”

Viewed functionally, infrastructure facilitates the production of goods and services, and

also the distribution of finished products to markets, as well as basic social services such as

schools and hospitals; for example, roads enable the transport of raw materials to a factory1.

Infrastructure makes it possible to make farm produce available in the market. In

NERCORMP it consists of inter-village roads, bridges, culverts, ropeways, housing for processing

units and marketing sheds to facilitate the transport, processing and protection of food

packages. There is also other such supporting infrastructure as pieco-hydel and biogas systems,

water tanks, irrigation canals and low cost sanitation besides community buildings.

Most infrastructures are designed by engineers. However a lot of free-hand is also given

to villagers to do the work as an organic evolution based on standard designs and cost norms.

Pre-Implementation Phase

Planning, Budgeting and Approval

Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA)

PRA is conducted with facilitation of the District Team and the partner NGOs. During the

PRA, village resources viz:, school, community hall, anganwadi, PHSC, water tank, reservoir,

playground, cemetery, rice mill, grocery shop, veterinary, road, footpath, waiting shed, etc

are identified. The resource mapping also indicates detailed zoning of land use as is currently

being used: community reserved forest, open forest, firewood forest, grazing area, jhum land,

wet terrace field, sarum, potential area for wet terrace development, farm area, bamboo

reserve area, MFP plantation, forest, meadow, water source, catchment area, picnic spot,

area of mineral deposit, lake, pond and river. By having a bird’s eye view of their own resources,

with reinforcement from day-to-day experience, and with technical assistance of the DST

and the NGO, the village can focus on key areas to address.

1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infrastructure

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The mappings range from rudimentary to clay models to very sophisticated models involving

cutting out contours on cardboards from topographic sheets.

Machangram village is on both sides of the Leimakhong Army Cantonment

They would perform the SWOT analysis or estimate the strength, weakness, opportunities

and threats of the resources and available infrastructure and add wherever they see a need for it.

The annual work plan of the village is compiled based on the outcome of the PRA which

forms part of the district AWPB.

Implementation

In spite of having made the plan, getting the approval and even received the funds, the

implementation is still a hurdle due to lack of technical know-how in manpower mobilization,

procurement of materials and construction skills. So, several levels of coordination are made by

the PTO and CTO.

3-D models of project villages have been made on table with clay and painted over orwith cardboards (or foam sheets) stenciled along contour lines of topographic sheets,cut and overlaid one over another.

Digital methods like this one is also sometimes made.

3-D models of project villages have been made on table with clay and painted over orwith cardboards (or foam sheets) stenciled along contour lines of topographic sheets,cut and overlaid one over another.

Digital methods like this one is also sometimes made.

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Training CC (Community Coordinators) and SO (Supervisory Officers)For mobilisation of manpower amongst NaRMGs.

Training at Cluster or Village level to empower SHG and NaRMGs for activity.

PTO prepares operational Gantt Chart for purchase and process

Progress Monitoring

Measurement into MB and Recording into Assets Register

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Construction of IVR

Road construction in West Khasi Hills

Inter village roads connect an interior vil-

lage to another village, a main road, or to

a field. Food grain, vegetables and fruits

and other cash crops are farmed to bring

to the village for consumption or further

processed and marketed.

Construction of bridges, causeways,

culverts, and footbridges

Minor bridges of spans of 10 meters,

causeways with multiple spans, footbridges

over river streams, ropeways and culverts

have been taken up. Reinforced Cement

Concrete (RCC) bridges and causeways are

ordinarily designed to carry a load of 20 metric tonnes. They are a part of the roads and have

been taken up through convergence with the District Administration or completely through the

project. In Ukhrul District, a bridge has been constructed with a view to shorten the route to the

district headquarters by 25 km.

Seipaikong Bridge shortens Kamjong-Ukhrul distance by 25 km and saves at least 1 hour of travel

time from the narrow and winding road.

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Built in dry season Seipaikong

Bridge is viewed from the east.

Construction of sheds – waiting and marketing

Marketing and waiting sheds are open

with skeletal RCC posts, tubular or

timber trusses supporting a corrugated

galvanized iron (CGI) sheet roofing.

The Shed on the left is in Karbi Anglong

District. When there is a shed, both

buses and passengers have an

unspoken understanding to embark

and disembark at this location. It helps

in both the sun and the rain and for a

patient wait.

Low Cost Latrines:

Low Cost Latrines are a remarkable transformation introduced in most project villages as an entry

point activity.

Phlangdiloin in West

Khasi Hills, has a very

rocky terrain and

cannot be excavated

easily with manual

labour. In such places,

the septic ‘pit’ is to be

built above the ground

in cylindrical concrete

or plastic containers.

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Honey comb pit being contructed in Ukhrul Districtwith boulder stones. The pit also acts as a leach pitso the effluent gets absorbed in the soil.

Tanks placed above ground need pipe drains toremove the liquid effluent away to a safe distance.

Pieco Hydel Plants

5 KW from running water can run a rice mill or light up at least 30 homes at 60 percent efficiency

and each home using 10 bulbs of 10 Watt CFL or LED bulbs. This is in Garo Hills.

Irrigation and Water Tanks

Food production as well as both household and personal waste management require adequate

water supply. Fortunately North East suffers rather from excess of rainfall than its deficiency

due to landslides that frequently close roads and railway traffic for days or weeks.

4000

3000

2000

1000

014.5 69.2 332.9

880.11330.2

2498.2

3141

18231191.6

523.464.9 23

DecNovOctSepAugJulJunMayAprMarFebJan

Rainfall at Cherrapunjee in millimeters

Cherrapunjee (Sohra) had an average annual rainfall of 11,902.1 mm for the period 1973-2010.

The rest of North-East average is 25% which is 3,000 mm of rainfall per year! Yet inadequate

drinking water exists in Cherrapunjee too! The paradox of scarcity in the midst of plenty and

poverty in the midst of bounty in the north-east can be addressed by sensitizing on resource

mapping and management. Monsoons from the Bay of Bengal bring heavy rainfall. The rain bearing

clouds precipitate when checked by the sub-Himalayan hills of the North-East. Tribal people

inhabiting these areas need to adopt rain-water

harvesting techniques. Extensive jungles and

poor communication make the region remote and

inaccessible. Local know-how is limited to earth

canals and ponds. Earth water retaining

structures or earth-lined channels last for a few

seasons only before being silted up or washed

away by the next storm flood water. Some of

these needs are being addressed by NERCORMP.

Field being developed for cultivation with irrigationfrom a nearby stream.

The channel has a most efficient flow when it istrapezoidal in section.

Things to note

Rates

The project has developed unit costs of various infra structures comparable to individual

state schedule of rates.

Measurement Book

The Measurement Book shall be maintained not necessarily for the purpose of billing but to

ensure completion of work which will show the contributions of NERCORMP, convergence and

community contribution so that utilization certificate can also be consequently prepared. It will

give both physical and financial progress and achievement in chronological order.

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Assets Register

Assets register from the standpoint of infrastructure should have the following information:

1. Register of Buildings: SL/Name/Year of Const/Amount/Plinth Area/Specifications/Location

Lat&Long/Remarks

2. Register of Roads, causeways, bridges, footbridges and ropeways: SL/Name/Year of

Const/Amount/Length, Breadth/Specifications/Location Start Middle End Lat&Long/

Remarks

3. Register of Water Tanks: SL/Name/Year of Const/Amount/Volume/Specifications/Location

Lat&Long/Remarks

4. Register of LCL: SL/Name of Household/Year of Const/Amount/Plinth Area/Specifications/

Location Lat&Long/Remarks

5. Register of Canals: SL/Name/Year of Const/Amount/Length, Breadth/Specifications/

Location Start Middle End Lat&Long/Remarks (HA irrigated)

Technical Hand Book

A separate technical manual for para technical personnel at the NaRMGs, SHGs and village

workers is available. It ranges from units of measurement to fundamentals of drawings, designs,

estimates, specifications and works execution of various works under NERCORMP. It includes

measuring work, recording the progress and recording the assets completed. It will instruct on

procurement of materials and the time and labour expected to complete the work.

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